dejansmaic

This is the scene from the cyclocross race held at the Louisville Rec

Center on a snowy December day. The temps were in the teens F and

dropping. I was shooting most of the days race, and chatting with

another cycling photographer when I took this image...shortly after the

start of the mens race as they were strung out heading up the slippery &

snowy hill. Sorry about the watermark being so conspicuous. I originally

posted this image on my social media site as well as others as this

image became very popular amongest the racing community. December

Comments are welcomed!

Dejan

Really digging this image...not sure which is the subject as both stand out.

Dejan

I was shooting for VeloNews during the Colorado Cross Classic cyclocross

race near Boulder, Colorado when JHK shot around me on a hairpin turn. I

did a pan, and I often try for this effect you see...a sense of speed. October

29, 2011

© Dejan Smaic

I have been spending some time up around the Emerald Lake area in

Rocky Mountain National Park and started to find some gems. Here is a

weathered pine...scarred from battling wind, snow, rain, avalanches, and

the occasional human. I had to snowshoe in about 1.5 hrs on fresh 8" of

snow from the previous day, with temps in the single digits, and winds

exceeding 50 mph once at the lake...then do a climb up a snow field

halfway up to the base of the wall at Flatop Mtn. I took a set of about 50

or so shots, but thought this one may be working well, even though a

small part of the tree touches the images border.

I took this one with a Nikon D700, Tokina 16-28 f/2.8, while trying to

keep the tripod steady at 16mm, ISO200, f/16, 1/125 sec...all between

severe gusts of wind. The one thing I love about this area is all the

reflective lighting. I think there is a little lens distortion, since I used a

WA, but many ot the trees are leaning "inward" in the direction of this

pine...you can also see the lake ice shoreline "just" in the middle right

by the roots of the tree and is level. Thanks for looking and comments

welcomed...

Dejan

"Winter Dreamin II" - Revised crop.

I decided to do a dry run for a few sunsets & sunrises of Emerald

Lake...located just east of the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain

National Park, yesterday on January 6, 2012. This image is of Dream

Lake, approximately 1hr in by snowshoe from Bear Lake, and 30

minutes before reaching Emerald Lake. The elevation here was approx

10,000 ft amsl and windy. I too this image handheld using a Nikon D700,

Nikon 24-70 f/2.8...after taking a dive in very dry 3 feet of poorly

consolidated snow...barely managing to keep my camera afloat above

the white stuff as a slid down the slope...lens cap was on! This shot was

taken during early PM lighting with the sun to the south. January 6, 2012

Greg, F/8 at different focal points with consideration to the hyperfocal distance.  Thanks!

Dejan

Here is an image of Maroon Bells taken on October 1, 2011. Me and

about 100 other photographers set up for an orange sunset which never

came. All but a handful left the shores of Maroon Lake. The occasional

drizzle, coupled with being set up next to another photog with a 4x5 and

prospects of "some" shot kept me around. This image is a 5

shot set using a D700, Nikon 16-35 f/4 set at varying exposures at f/8,

ISO100, 24mm. I used blending techniques as to incorporate the moon,

which made a late appearance before closing up shop for the evening.

As always, comments welcomed & thanks for looking!

Dejan

I am not sure if this image qualifies as landscape or architecture, because it

was originally shot as landscape. Anyhow, I shot this single image using a

Nikon D700 & Nikon 16-35 f/4 lens, aligned on the utility ling running up the

lighthouse tower. The day was grey, and I was trying to create a mood. I

used sharpening techniques (no HDR) to give the feel you see. Thanks for

viewing and comments welcomed!

Dejan

I have been taking a second look at my California coastal images and came

across this one. I took this image at sunset looking south along the CA

coast about 1.5hrs north of San Luis Obispo. As you can see, there is a

3/4 moon. This is a single image taken using a Nikon D700, Nikon 16-35,

16mm, f/18 at 2.5 sec exposure. August 7, 2011. Comments welcomed

and thanks for looking!

Dejan

I am really digging the potential of this venue. 

Not sure if I quite agree with some of the comments on this image.  I do like some of the colors, but I have seen some better work from you.  The horizon is not true, the background is too cluttered with uninteresting things which I think don't really add to the image, and centering of the subject not too sure if it works...as well as the exposure / post processing (it is a bit under exposed / heavy on the feathered vig).  However, I do like how the clouds & the tree compliment each other and I do like how you have captured the detail of the tree.  Just trying to give you feedback on how I see it...:-)

Dejan

First, this image needs to be viewed at 1600 long to be appreciated, but,

there are constraints for posting on public forums :-). Anyways, I have

been looking at this set of awhile and decided to send this one to post

processing. I was out shooting Turret Arch around 0300 hrs, and later

set up shooting Windows for a sunrise. This is a 4 stitch image of

Window Arch...looking from the north base to the center. I left the

southern half for another time for post. Anyways, This shot gives me new

ideas for my next visit. I took this using a tripod mounted Nikon D700,

Nikon 16-35 f/4 lens, ISO200, f20, 16mm. I think I could have gone f/16,

but wanted to capture sharpness at depth. What are your thoughts on

the exposure at the base...maybe a little high? May 16, 2011, mid AM

hrs.

As always, comments welcomed. Thanks!

I started revisiting some of my images taken in May 2011 and came

across a couple with some potential. Here is a single image of a

seastack taken somewhere along the central Oregon coast on May 22,

2011. There was overcast conditions during the day, so I tried to shift

gears and capture some scenes with mood. I took this one with a Nikon

D700, 16-35 f/4 tripod mounted, 1/6 sec exposure, ISO200. I sliced this

image with a balanced sky & sea and presented this a bit larger than I

would like to, but appears better this size. I did have to work this shot a

bit is CS5 to bring out a few more details. Opinions about centering this

image welcomed...and as always comments welcomed. Thanks

I took this image after doing a trail run on a Friday, Nov 18, 2011. I always

pack my Nikon with me to capture these kinds of moments. As I was

cooling down, I noticed a photographer shooting portraits as the sun was

hitting the flatiron, creating some awesome lighting. I captured the trio while

using a handheld Nikon D700, Nikon 24-70, 44mm, ISO1000, 1/500sec. I

pp'd in LR & CS5.

This is an image of the Crater Lake area at the Maroon Bells. I had

posted a few "other" incomplete versions of a similar shot, but this one

is, I feel anyways, done. As the story behind this image goes...

I hit the trailhead at 0230 hrs trying to get some milky way shots, but

ended up taking an unmarked trail for the next two hrs & 5 miles

later...under stars & headlamp & a 50 lb pack full of camera gear/misc.

After pulling out my GPS, found the correct trail, got to Crater Lake

around 5 AM...7 miles before breakfast.

Image specs: I took 2 sets of 4 & 5 images, blended two into 2 sets,

then stitched the 2 into a pano. Removed distortion. Both sets were shot

using a tripod mounted Nikon D700, Nikon 16-35 wide angle (VR turned

off...hint, hint), at f/8, 20mm, ISO200.

Hey Wouter,

You are right about the hyperfocal distance (HFD).  At 1.4 on a 50mm lens, it is negligible. I remember when I shot this image, I angled the set up to account for f/2.8 HFD, but ended up bringing it in to 1.4...so, this statement continues to stick in my mind.  I always bring my chart to the field and rarely use it since I can usually get pretty close.  The white / green...yeah, the white is distracting...probably could PS it out, but the green artifacts is CA and not the result of oversharpenng.  I appreciate your input, as this one is not going to print.  I have several others I consider candidates for print, but been very busy this fall shooting the bike racing stuff for various media...:-)  Later!

Dejan

"Hint of Fall"

Here is a try at macro photography using a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens. I

took this along a stream running through an Aspen grove in Rocky

Mountain National Park. I have been at this location before, but never

tried macro here. The large water bead on the middle leaf eventually

made its way off the leaf and back into the adjacent stream, thus, ending

my shoot here. I don't consider this the worlds greatest image, but I liked

the way the filtered light was striking the leaves. This was shot tripod

mounted D700, Sigma 50mm, f/1.4, ISO200...with the focal point on the

large water droplet...I tried to use the hyperfocal distance at f/1.4

w/respect to the angle of the image to get most to all of the droplets in

focus. Also, I did a little post processing in CS5 to bring out a little more

detail.

This is an idea I started working on this week with the upcoming

changes of color beginning to happen in the High Country. I was up

between 4th of July Trail & Old Town Eldora shooting Aspens for

settings. Most of what you see was done in the field, but took practice

getting "it right", the lighting was favorable, and there were lots of lines /

patterns. While driving through the Town of Eldora, there was a film crew

shooting a scene in thier movie...about a group of young people (as they

put it) and Big Foot. Warning, if you see Big Foot between Ned &

Eldora, it could either be a prop or the real thing!

I shot this single image on July 28, 2011 from the east shore of Longs

Lake...Brainard Lake is one of my favorite spots. Further up the trail is

Lake Isabelle and the Indian Peaks Wilderness. It just stopped raining a

few minutes earlier, and there was a ring of fall in the air...even in

July....crisp! I shot this using a Nikon D700, Nikon 16-35 f/4, 16mm, f/16

at a 1.6 sec exposure. I used a ND Grad fiter, and a few filters in post

processing to bring out the colors as I saw it.

I posted another pic of nearly the same location, but was shot earlier as

the sun was still higher. One of the things I love about sunsets is just

when you think the colors are gone, and mother natures show is

done...there is one last curtain call, yielding a very brief, but intense

color show. This is that color show, despite the cloud cover.

I shot this single image on July 28, 2011 from the east shore of Longs

Lake...Brainard Lake is one of my favorite spots, as you can just get lost in

the Indian Peaks Wilderness. It just stopped raining, and there was a ring of

fall in the air...even in July. I shot this using a Nikon D700, Nikon 16-35 f/4,

16mm, f/16 at a 1 sec exposure. You can see moose and the occasional

mountain lion lurking about.

I woke up early and went through some of my images I took from the left

coast, and kept getting drawn in to this image. I took this "over the

shoulder" image after sunset along an empty beach near Brookings,

Oregon on Jan 23, 2011. I really love the Pacific Northwest coastline!

The park rangers were trying to get me out as the state beach closed

1/2 hrs earlier. As I was leaving, I noticed the four sea gulls sitting on top

a rock outcropping as the surf appeared to calm. I took this image

handheld at ISO 200, f/9, 1/1000 sec at 70mm using a Nikon D700,

Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8. I am debating about the composition, possibly

cropping down from the top, but think the dark clouds add a little balance

to the image. Comments welcomed!

Thanks!

Dejan

A good shot.  What I like about this image is you froze enough of the action, yet creates a sense of motion...froze the face, and everything from the waist down and surroundings blurred nicely...plus, you caught another media photographers flash, which highlighted the outline of the riders face. The only thing I might do is crop to the tree from the left...it is too distracting and adds nothing for a race photo.  Thanks for submitting!

Dejan 

Here is an image taken from Great Sand Dunes National Park near

Alamosa, Colorado. I did a sunrise shoot, grabbed a few shots, then as I

was leaving noticed how many of the sand ripples were more

pronounced. It has rained the night before, leaving the sand a little wet,

darker. As the morning wore on, the sand began to dry, first the tops or

high points along the ripples, leaving the bottoms or basin between the

ripples wetter & darker...thus accentuating the ripples. Anyways, I took

this image using a Nikon D700, Nikon 16-35 f/4, circular polarizer filter,

ISO 200, f/18, at a 16 mm focal length. I am not sure if I still had my ND

grad filter on or not. July 31, 2011. Comments welcomed and thanks for

viewing!

© Dejan Smaic 2011

After doing an into the sunrise series of shots, I looked behind my back an

found this terrific backdrop "hinting" for photos. In this image, Summit Lake

is hardly visible in the background, with the peak of Mt. Evans just visible at

the left. This image is comprised of one exposure at 1/5 sec, ISO 200,

16mm at f/18 using a Cokin 2-stop ND Grad filter. Comments welcomed

and thanks for viewing!

Dejan

"Flow". This image was taken at sunrise near Summit Lake, Mt. Evans, Colorado. It was a perfectly crisp summer morning above the treeline. The image was comprised of manual blend of two images...one exposed for the foreground, and the second for the stream. The stream was exposed for 1/3 seconds...both at ISO 200, 16mm at f/16 using a Cokin 2-stop ND Grad & circular polarizer filters. August 2, 2011. Comments welcomed and thanks!
© Dejan Smaic 2011

Dejan